The present invention relates generally to structures for housing animals and more particularly to portable pet kennels and pet crates. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to portable pet crates for housing or transporting dogs.
Various types of structural enclosures for storing and transporting animals are known in the art. Conventional portable animal crates such as those used for housing and transporting dogs typically include a plastic or metal wire construction and include an interior enclosure with a selectively openable door. Conventional portable animal crates generally include a single-layer construction such as a single layer of plastic, metal or wire mesh. The single-layer material forms the structural support and also defines the enclosure space within the interior of the crate. Conventional single-layer animal crates of this type are generally sized to easily fit in the bed of a truck or the cargo area of a sport-utility vehicle, and such crates are often used by sportsmen, disabled persons, rescue, military and/or law enforcement personnel for storing and transporting dogs. Such conventional portable animal crates provide a benefit of being relatively lightweight and portable such that a single person can lift and move the crate. Additionally, these types of conventional animal crates are generally sized to accommodate only the animal or animals to be housed within, thereby enhancing the portable nature of the product.
One problem with conventional single-layer portable animal crates is the lack of structural integrity and toughness of construction. A single-layer material wall may easily deflect or buckle under a load, potentially harming the animal housed within the enclosure. For example, owners of portable animal crates may regularly move the crate between a house and a vehicle or other location. During repeated movement of the crate, conventional single-layer animal crates may be inadvertently dropped or impacted resulting in cracks or dents in the material. Also, while travelling in a vehicle, conventional portable single-layer animal crates may be crushed or severely deformed during a vehicle accident or other impact. Such deformation may severely injure or kill the animal housed within the enclosure.
Additionally, conventional animal crates having single-layer material walls provide little insulation to animals housed within the enclosure in cold weather, especially when transported in an exposed environment such as the bed of a pickup truck. Such conditions are frequently experienced by sportsmen when transporting sporting dogs during winter hunting seasons. To overcome this problem, users of such conventional single-walled animal crates are often forced to cover the crate with an insulating blanket or crate cover when transporting an animal in cold weather. However, conventional crate covers and blankets are expensive, cumbersome, may become torn or ripped, and further may be blown off the crate or become misaligned during use.
Another problem with conventional portable animal crates is the difficulty in moving the crate. For example, users may wish to move a crate between rooms in a residence, or into and out of a vehicle. Conventional portable animal crates, especially those for housing large dogs, are bulky and cumbersome to move. Such crates are also heavy and may be difficult to lift for moving any significant distances.
Others have attempted to overcome the difficulties of moving animal crates by providing crates with wheels. However, conventional devices including wheels are configured such that the wheels protrude from the bottom of the kennel body causing the overall size of the enclosure to be much taller. Other conventional devices with wheels on the bottom of the animal enclosure are cumbersome to lock the wheels, or allow unintended rolling motion that can endanger an animal inside the enclosure.
What is needed, then, are improvements to animal enclosures to address these and other problems.